The Gray Beach
by Writer1001
Summary: AU. Aang never met the Lion Turtle and has to make an agonising decision on what to do when he is facing Ozai. So many options but can he pick the right one? Part I of IV. It will focus on the Butterfly Effect. Enjoy.


Hey! I'm back again with my final story for the Pro Bending Competition. Yes! It's been a fun season and I think it helped me become a better writer as I learned quite a bit from my talented teammates.

This final round focus on the Butterfly Effect or the "What if?". My teammates focused on the prospect on Aang never meeting the Lion Turtle and took it from there. This is base of our story with three other possible consequences that will be written by my teammates. I hope you enjoy! Go Wolfbats!

 **DragonMaster65** : Death is Certain, its Hour Unknown

 **Prompts used:** (title) The Gray Beach; (restriction) No names used (this includes characters and locations); the use of the element: air

 **Words:** 1049

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 **The Gray Beach**

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 _In. Out. In._

The breaths came out calm, calculated and controlled.

A strong gust of wind came out of nowhere but the mediating young boy sat unmoved by the sudden change.

The picture perfect of collected was displayed by the monk as he sat motionless on a large rock. The sound of crashing waves entered his ears. Externally the boy's face was expressionless and almost at peace; but inwardly it held a storm. His entire being was at war with itself.

Tomorrow the long awaited comet would finally makes its appearance, the reason why the Avatar's state of mind was disheveled.

Tomorrow was the Great Battle, a fight anticipated since he came out of the iceberg, the reason why he was torn into two.

Tomorrow he would have to face and defeat a foe that threatened the balance of the entire world and the very reason the young boy was so unsettled.

He had make a life altering choice and he had no guidance. The was so many options but none that left him at ease…

There was the first option, an option many thought was the best but was actually was the worst; he had to kill. Just thinking about it made unsettled his very soul. He was a monk and every time someone mentioned him killing, it left his mind, body and soul moving liking an never-ending violent tornado.

But it was expected of him. _He_ was the Avatar, nobody else. He was expected to bring in a new era of peace by defeating, by _killing_ a poisonous person. A person.

His placid hands suddenly tightened into frustrated fists. Thinking about it was pushing him to the brink of insanity. The option was pushed to the darkest part in his mind, hoping and praying it never saw light. But it was there, like a hungry fox, lurking in dark and waiting for the moment until there was no other option left.

 _In. Out. In. Out._

Another thought that plagued his mind was that should he do this alone? Was he strong enough to defeat a tyrant like the Fire Lord?

Images of the of friends passed through his mind. Each of them were important in his life; they played a crucial role in his life but could he let himself lead them into danger?

There was a light constriction around his heart. The thought of them being hurt, or _worse,_ left the young monk stomach unsettled. He had lost many people already during this lifetime and he couldn't again.

He remembered the anguish and remorse he had felt when he saw the bones of his own master lying in the snow, old and rotten. The entire image was embedded in his mind and the emotions he felt that day were with him every single day. They weren't as vivid as they were in the beginning but they were still.

The sound of shifting legs interrupted the calming harmony of the waves and the fluttering wind as the mediating boy shifted on the rock.

Each of his bones were rigid and unsettled as they tried to relax. Nothing was working. Not with the heaviness he felt right now.

The battle was like a dark cloud hanging over his head. No choice had been made about tomorrow's battle and he was on edge. There was so much pressure on his small shoulders that he felt breathless.

What if he couldn't do it? What if he wasn't strong enough to even win?

He had finally mastered all four element; air, water, earth and fire. There wasn't even time to relish his accomplishment with such dark thoughts in his mind.

He was being insecure again. Exactly the same anxiety and insecurity he had felt when he was supposed to fight the Fire Lord. He had almost pushed himself over the brink of insanity and he was doing it all over again.

Him thinking of losing was proof of that. But it could become a reality. Even he couldn't deny that he was far kinder than the average person, maybe his greatest asset could finally his downfall.

A world encased with flames suddenly clouded his mental vision. Burning brightness of fire appeared and the powerful smell of ash that felt so real that the young boy almost. Screams of the innocent filled his ears. The distant laugh of something malicious could be heard in a distance as the Avatar watched his vision.

"No!" His gray eyes shot opened, bewildered, as he tried to catch his breath.

It felt so real, the picture of the world burning in an eternal inferno as millions suffered. That was the future of the beautiful world he cherished if he lost tomorrow. One thing was clear; he couldn't lose.

But he was still stuck. His mind was still like a spinning tornado of wind as he still struggled to choose the correct path. He had no guidance and for the first time he felt alone.

The slight pick up of wind made his bare arms shiver. His clouded eyes finally looked at the sight before him.

The sun was setting in the horizon but it was so clouded. The heavens were wrapped in a thick blanket of gray and water reflected the gray from the sky. The waves themselves even looked gray as they washed on shore before retreating back into the ocean.

A small frown formed on his pink lips. It felt like the universe was in tune with him this troubling day. Everything felt gray; there was no black or white, just a huge blob of ugly gray.

Everything looked meek in the final hours of the day. His mind was no nearer in making a decision when he had decided to mediate and hoped to find the perfect solution for him. Instead he found himself more lost than ever.

Sighing, the defeated boy finally stood up and his bare feet sunk lightly in the wet sand. He let his body go slack in defeat.

There was no clear solution in the horizon but one thing was clear: tomorrow was coming, whether he liked it or not. He couldn't see the future or anticipate what was going to happen but a decision would have to be made.

The question was: would it be the correct one?


End file.
